Where to apply with a low GPA but extenuating circumstances?

College Search & Selection
1

Alright. So after adding my senior second semester grades my GPA went from around a 2.1 to a 2.5 so that’s fun (unweighted) anyways here goes

Scores: 33 ACT 1520 SAT. ACT taken freshman year, SAT sophomore.

Course load: pretty difficult. I took most of the APs offered at my school.

ECs: forensics, MUN, and student government. I’ve won several local speech and debate tournaments and placed at a few travel ones, nothing prestigious though. In the past year I’ve also worked as an intern with the medical department of a nearby college.

Awards: I’ve won a couple writing contests, again nothing prestigious though

Intended major: international relations, I want to go to law school.

Also any school has to have a reasonably accessible campus :slight_smile: Which most schools do because they don’t want to be sued. I’d rather have a fairly large school than a small school, and I’d rather it be not in the middle of nowhere but it doesn’t matter a ton.

Extenuating circumstances: I was in a debilitating accident at the beginning of sophomore year. I spent most of sophomore year in the hospital then in physical rehabilitation, then junior year more of the same due to surgeries. My senior year (I’m taking a gap year now) I had a 3.7 GPA and went to school a lot more regularly.

2

I’m confused, is your GPA a 3.7, 2.5, or 2.1? If it’s 3.7, is that weighted or unweighted?

What can you realistically afford? If cost is not an issue, look at schools that give out aid based on test scores. Private schools also typically don’t have GPA minimums, just averages.

3

My senior year GPA alone was a 3.7. My four year average is a 2.5. All of those are unweighted on a 4 point scale, my school doesn’t do weighted. Cost isn’t an issue. Sorry if the post was confusing!

4

It’s okay! Thanks for the clarification. You should definitely check out private schools and public schools with no GPA minimums. You could probably get into a few honors programs with your SAT as well.

5

Thanks for the suggestion! I’ll try to look into some.